Hinsdale District 86 to cut some clubs, fund others

The Hinsdale High School District 86 Board approved Monday eliminating some clubs and activities and funding others as combined clubs for both Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South.

Following the recommendations of the school activity directors and administrators, the school board voted unanimously to cut the Puzzle Club, United Club, Let’s Help Out Club, Athletes Committed to Excellence/Red Devil Nation, the production assistant and the four class boards at Central.

At Hinsdale South, the archery and Hornet 101 clubs and Athletes Committed to Excellence will be cut. Instead of four class boards, South will have two, one for the senior class and one for freshmen through juniors.

Instead of having a separate radio club at South, students at South and Central will participate together in a districtwide radio Club.

The changes are estimated to save about $57,000 from the activities budget at South.

District officials said the 81 clubs with stipends for faculty sponsors at South cost $601,241 this school year.

At Central, the following clubs and position will receive faculty stipends beginning next school year: Women in Engineering, Sports Club, Student Council assistant and Christian Student Association, Devils Appreciate Warrior Gratitude, which supports active and retired military personnel, and the Langa Education Assistance Program club, which supports science and math schools in South Africa.

The clubs are not new, but they operated without a paid stipend for the faculty sponsor.

The changes are estimated to result in a reduction of about $37,000 in stipends at Central. The cost of operating 80 clubs with paid stipends at Central this school year was $614,234, administrators said.

Every year, administrators review participation in all the clubs and activities and determine which ones no longer are popular and which ones should be supported, said Domenico Maniscalco, chief human resources officer.

But this year, a lengthy list of clubs and sports had been on the cutting board after a referendum failed in November, leading to much angst and outcry from parents and students.

But with the passage of the $140 million bond referendum in April, the school board backed off the more controversial measures, such as cutting marching band and the National Honor Society.

Sally Phillip, director of student activities at Central, said in addition to an annual activity fair to introduce students to the range of extracurricular activities and her survey of the student body, she receives requests for new clubs throughout the school year.

“I have three proposals for new clubs right now sitting on my desk that I got last week,” Phillip told the board.

“They constantly come in,” she said. “I get anywhere between 15 and 20, 25 proposals a year for new clubs.”

Students who want to start a new club have to fill out an application that explains how the club is different from existing clubs, why they need it and how it’s going to benefit the school, and they have to find a teacher who will volunteer to sponsor it, Phillip said.

“The only way they go through is if they are truly unique,” Phillip said.

The school board also approved moving its regular meetings from Mondays to the second and fourth Thursday evening of each month, beginning July 25.

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